Trestle



H. C. SWEET Feb. 22, 1955 TRESTLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1951 INVENTOR. HAROLD 0. SWEET ATTORNEYS H. C. SWEET Feb. 22, 1955 TRESTLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1951 20D INVENTOR.

HAROLD C. SWEET ATTORNEYS w mm Cu United States Patent Office 2,702,727 Patented Feb. 22, 1955 TRESTLE Harold C. Sweet, Detroit, Mich. Application February 5, 1951, Serial No. 209,408

4 Claims. (Cl. 304-4) The present invention relates to trestles or supports for use by carpenters or other workers, and more specifically to folding legs for such trestles.

Among the objects of the invention is a folding trestle leg in the form of a tripod carrying means for securing a suitable rail connecting a pair of the tripod legs and thus forming a support commonly called a horse.

Another object is to provide a leg structure carrying a rail connection having means to provide for a stable footing on a somewhat uneven surface.

Still another object is to provide a structure which is adjustable in height but simple in construction and operatron.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a carpenters trestle or horse consisting of a rail and a pair of legs of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the legs in extended position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a leg in folded condition.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a view on the line 66 of Figure 2, but showing in dot-and-dash lines the relative position of the clamp.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the rail clamp, but showing in dot-and-dash lines the rail held by the clamp.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modification permitting height adjustment.

Fig. 9 is a view from the left of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail of the construction of the modified form.

Fig. 11 is a section on line 11-11 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is a section on line 1212 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is a sectional perspective view of a modified form of yoke or cradle.

Fig. 14 is a side view of the same.

In the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a trestle consisting of two of the folding legs embodying the present invention fixed to a rail which may be an ordinary piece of 2 x 4 wood studding material. The rail is indicated at A and each of the legs, as a whole, by B.

Each of the legs B consists of three lengths of angle iron of which one member is somewhat larger than the other two members 21, the latter being slightly longer than the member 20 and loosely riveted thereto, the rivets 22 acting as hinge pins. The bottom ends of the three members are preferably saw cut and bent to form feet as indicated at 23. Upon the top end of member 20 is fixed in any suitable manner, as by welding, a trough or yoke member 24 and within this a second trough forming a clamp member 25 for the rail A.

This member 25 is a right angle U and is held in the yoke 24 by means of rivets 26, the parts being so assembled that the member 25 is swingablc for a short distance. In one side of member 25 will be threaded a thumb screw 27 and directly opposite the latter a small rounded horizontal rib 28 will be formed in the other side of the member. Near the bottom ends of the leg members and hinged to members 21 will be rather long links 30, the other ends of which are hinged to a slide 31 carried on leg member 20, this arrangement, of course, being designed to hold the legs in tripod position when the slide 31 is down near the bottom end of member 20. A suitable stop may be provided if desired to limit the downward movement of the slide 31. By providing the clamp member 25 with a limited swinging movement and by providing it also with the rib 28 opposite the clamping screw, a trestle, such as shown in Fig. 1, does not require a fiat even supporting surface in order to be stable and have all of the foot pads on said surface. In fact, the pad on one member 20, for example, may be inches higher or lower than the pads on its members 21. Or, a certain amount of sidewise tilting of a leg B may be allowed.

In the form of device shown in Figs. 8 to 12, the clamp assembly 24 to 28 will be identical with the clamp assembly of Figs. 1 to 7. However, it will be welded to the top of a separate piece of angle iron 50 arranged to be adjusted up and down with respect to the folding tripod. In this form of the device, the leg member 20A has welded to its upper end, and nested, a second piece of angle iron 203, the piece 20B being set at a small angle to the piece 20A so that its lower end is spaced as shown in Fig. 8 and is held in position by a short spacer bar 20C welded to the two.

Along the free edges of piece 20B are fixed strips 20D to provide a slide into which is fitted the movable extension member 50. At the top of the leg member 20A and fixed to the strips 20D is an angle member 20E and to this and the strips 20D are hinged the leg members 21A corresponding to members 21. At several points along the member 208 and strips 20D further angle members 20E will be fixed, these serving as retainers to keep the member 50 in its slide.

Any suitable means for fixing the member 50 in its adjusted position may be used, and such a means is shown in Fig. 10. In this figure, the member 50 is shown as being provided with suitably spaced holes 50A to receive a pin 50B extending through the member 20B and into one of said holes.

Figs. 13 and 14 show forms of the yoke or cradle modified to provide for supporting the load directly upon the base portion instead of on the rivets or pins 26. In this form the outer U-shaped member 124 will be welded to the leg 20 as in Figs. 1 to 7 or to the extension member 50 as in Figures 8 to 12, and will be provided in its side walls with slots 124A for the passage of pins or rivets 126 fitting loosely in the slots but fixed in the inner U-shaped member 125.

The latter member may be identical with yoke member 25 except that it will be provided with a button or rib 130 adapted to rest upon the bottom wall of member 124 serving as a pivot for the inner member and also taking the load from the pins 126.

A short swinging is allowed by the slots 124A.

I claim:

1. A folding leg for trestles consisting of a tripod composed of angle iron members two of which are each hinged to the third, and a clamp mounted upon the said third member, said clamp member consisting of a cradle or yoke fixed to said third member and a second cradle or yoke embraced by the first, said second cradle or yoke being swingable within the first.

2. A folding leg for trestles consisting of a tripod composed of angle iron members two of which are each hinged to the third, and a clamp mounted upon the said third member, said clamp member consisting of a cradle or yoke fixed to said third member and a second cradle or yoke embraced by the first, said second cradle or yoke being swingable within the first, said second cradle or yoke also having in one wall a clamping screw and on its opposing wall, opposite said screw, a rounded projection extending inwardly.

3. A folding leg for trestles consisting of a tripod composed of angle iron members, one of said members having a slide fixed thereto adjacent its upper end and at such an angle as to be substantially vertical when the tripod is in trestle supporting position, hinge means for each of the other two leg members also adjacent the upper end of the first mentioned leg member, a vertically adjustable member in said slide and clamp means fixed to the top of said adjustable member.

4. In combination with a trestle leg, a clamping means for a rail, said means consisting of a cradle fixed to said 3 leg, a second cradle within the first and having its side walls extending above the walls of the first, pivot means supporting the second cradle within the first, whereby to provide for a swinging movement of the second cradle, and rail gripping means carried by said second cradle above the Walls of the first cradle.

1,234,510 Trautwein July 24, 1917 4 Milnes, Jr. May 10, 1921 Bettes Jan. 13, 1925 Hainsworth May 18, 1926 Ball May 3, 1932 Padgett Sept. 29, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 26, 1932 Great Britain Oct. 5, 1936 

